This Is How Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Was Really Supposed To Look
The revolutionary "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" was the first 3D game in the series, as well as the entry that brought Link to the N64, but did you know it was almost completely different? In 1997, attendees of the Nintendo Space World expo were shown a demo that featured abilities and effects which weren't present in the published game. Now modders are attempting to recreate that demo.
The effort to recreate the demo is being led by a modder known as Zel, who posted a trailer for it on YouTube. They mention in the description that "this project is a MOD and will NOT be a fully 100% accurate restoration," so anyone who is expecting the mod to perfectly line up with Nintendo's original vision might be somewhat disappointed. Even so, Zel appears to have tried their best to incorporate much of what was seen in the original Space World demo. The trailer features a few of the abilities which were rumored to have been available during that early time. For instance, tou can see the player getting to take control of the fairy Navi, as well as a shot of Link rising up into some kind of portal.
Recreating the 1998 Spaceworld Ocarina of Time demo
According to a report from Eurogamer, this mod is being created using information from an old "F-Zero X" development cartridge that contained data for the graphics and maps from the Space World demo. Using this info, Zel and other modders have been able to recreate magical spell medallions which gave Link several abilities that never made it into the published game. It's also been reported that they've been using information from the giant Nintendo leak which took place in July 2020 and revealed things like "possibly the first, or one of the first 3D model Nintendo ever made of Link, as an experiment on the Super FX chip."
It's unclear when exactly this mod will become available, though Zel's trailer ends with the message, "coming soon..."
Just about very "Zelda" game has been revolutionary in one way or another at the time of their release. "Ocarina of Time" holds a special place in fans hearts, however. It has a Metacritic score of 99 and is widely considered to be the best game in the series, so it's no surprise that people are excited to experience this take on the developers' original vision.